When The World Was Gray
by kasplosion
Summary: Even during a storm, it shined. There was still life in the sky. / Princess Yue loved her people, but she lived first and for most herself. / oneshot. yuesokka. sucir.


A/n: Week 2 of Stir Until Consistency Is Right (SUCIR, sue-sir, or sucker), a challenge my friends thatonedork and From Spark To Flame and I decided to do. Write one fic a week, based on prompts we give each other. Last week wasn't so hot (the lack of reviews doesn't tell me that) and this one has redeemed me.

Prompts: Apocalypse 2009 (Flame's), cloud (mine), over the rainbow (dorkie's)

When The World Was Gray

_In a time of war and unrest, parents had little to offer their children_. It's going to be okay_ only stopped the tears for so long. _Don't worry_ caused more worry. Comforting _shh shh_'s and back rubbing did nothing._

_Yue found that the best condolence was the one she heard only once. She sat in a healer's arms, clutching her knee, wounded from taking a trip down a small flight of stairs. Her tears did not show signs of stopping. _

_Somehow, the healer managed to calm her down long enough for Yue to hear her: "Somewhere, someplace, someone is smiling. If she can smile, so can you."_

_Yue wiped her eyes and a small smile found its way onto her face._

- - -

_She was seven when she first cried her heart out._

Yue was given private waterbending lessons with Master Pakku. He was the North Pole's best, but he was strict. Though he did treat her with more patience than his other students, on account of her being the princess, he frequently became frustrated with her. After dozens of lessons, she could not make the water move, no matter how much she focused her energy and thoughts on it. Her form and stance were excellent, but the water refused to budge under her will.

She waited outside Master Pakku's tent when her parents came to pick her up. Her father always wanted an update on her progress. She sat just outside the tent's flap, playing with the snow. She never tried to listen to the conversation inside, she was told that was rude and her mother would scold her.

Sometimes other children passed and they made snow sculptures together, then their parents noticed her and pulled their children away with a hasty smile. Yue waved good-bye sadly. By that time her parents were finished talking and they took her home, where she wandered the halls in search of something to do.

One evening, nobody passed by the tent where she waited. She was wrapped in countless layers, but she shivered when the wind breezed.

She had completed a picture of an ocean wave in the snow when her father's voice rose, "… impossible… more lessons." She shut her eyes, as if she could shut out the words.

"After this many lessons…" came Master Pakku's reply. Her gloves became fists. "… Bending abilities show themselves early… None have shone for your daughter… unlikely they ever will…"

When Yue opened her eyes, she saw the moon in the darkened sky, alone in the night. Just like her.

- - -

_She was twelve when she faced a distasteful alliance._

Yue's mother and the other servants were spending a little more time on her appearance one morning. Her lips were painted, her white hair was braided then put into a fancy up-do, and her attire was something she would have worn to a wedding. She tried to remember if there was a wedding today, but she could not recall any receiving any invitations.

"What's going on today, mom?" Yue asked when they finally left her room.

"You are going to meet someone special today," her mother replied, "stand up straight."

"Who?"

"He's waiting in the meeting room—shoulders back, sweetie"

Yue's heart lept. She wondered if she was going to meet another waterbender, someone who could help her with her, as she preferred to call them, underdeveloped abilities. She silently prayed to the Moon and the Ocean before her mother pulled back the curtain to the meeting room.

Instead of a strong, deep voice, as she expected, Yue was greeted with that of a child. "Hi." A boy, no older than her, bowed.

Looking uncertainly at her mother, she curtsied back.

"Yue," her father spoke, putting a hand on the boy's skimpy shoulders, "this is Hahn."

"Hello… Hahn," she said.

"I know you two will become the best of friends!" her mother gushed. She pushed Yue towards the boy encouragingly.

"Do you want to see my club?" Hahn reached behind his back and pulled out a small cudgel before Yue could reply. He held it like he was fighting someone. Yue could not help but notice, after watching warriors practice out of lack of anything else to do, that his feet were not spread out far enough and his grip on the weapon was loose. She wasn't impressed.

"Go along and play with Hahn," her mother said, ushering the two preteens outside.

Yue spent the day watching the boy swinging his club around, commenting only when he spoke to her. She didn't like where—_to whom_—her parents were steering her.

- - -

_She was sixteen when hope landed on her shores._

It was strangely quiet in the clouds. No noises of children playing, or adults chatting, Yue rarely experienced this peaceful, content silence. She wished it would stay that way forever.

She propped her arms on top of Appa's saddle, resting her head. She looked down at Sokka, whose eyes were closed. He seemed just as much at peace as she was.

Unlike Sokka, Yue had never left her home. She never encountered anything dangerous other than harmless waterbending attacks when she was a child. She never witnessed anything as beautiful as the North Pole's landscape, and she doubted they were the only breath-taking sights in the world.

"Have you ever seen a rainbow?" she mused.

"Not until a few weeks ago," he replied, his eyes still closed.

"What did it look like?"

Yue saw his eyebrows furrow slightly, trying to find the right words.

"Well, it's colorful."

"I know _that_," Yue laughed (and that's what made Sokka open his eyes). He leaned his head back to see Yue's upside down features.

He smiled and remembered seeing the arc in the sunless sky. It was a glorious sight, though he didn't voice that to Katara or Aang. They couldn't appreciate it the way he did—the same way Yue could.

"It was very faint," Sokka said softly, "but even during a storm, it shined. There was still life in the sky."

Yue remembered his words when the world was gray.

- - -

A/n: I remembered I didn't like Yue for awhile, because she couldn't bend and she didn't carry around any weapons, it made her that much more defenseless. But she's a great a character, she has a great story, and her relationship with Sokka would be my favorite of his, if it weren't for Toph. Anyways. Apocalypse 2009 refers to the Fire Nation and the war, if you were wondering.

Tell me what you think, please!


End file.
